God commands all of the angels at the same time. Some scholars think this means that these things will happen in a very short period of time. Other scholars think these things will happen over a longer period of time.
1. Some scholars think God will punish the people who who do not believe in Jesus and worship the antichrist by giving them painful sores. 1. Other scholars think this is a metaphor. They think John wrote about people doing evil things.
1. Other scholars think he wrote about bad things that happened when the temple was destroyed and Jerusalem was conquered in ancient times. 1. Other scholars think that this meant that people will be punished in hell forever.
1. Some scholars think this was a metaphor. John was writing about battles or wars that would happen. Certain places were punished because many Christians were killed there.
1. Some scholars think this was a metaphor. John was writing about how God punished the Roman Empire after they killed many Christians and Jews.
1. Some scholars think this was a metaphor. John was writing about God punishing Israel for not believing in Jesus and what the prophets said.
1. Some scholars think God will one day turn rivers all over the world to blood. God will punish those who worship the antchrist.
A plague is when large numbers of insects or animals come into an area and destroy things. In ancient times, people thought plagues were God’s punishment. John was not writing about insects. Instead, he wrote about God punishing them.
## 16:10-11
### Who is the beast?
See: Revelation 11:7
### What is the kingdom of the beast?
God gave Satan permission to rule the earth. However, God rules Satan (see: Luke 4:6; John 14:30).
Some scholars think John wrote about ruling the world.
Other scholars think he wrote about the kingdom the antichrist rules.
A prophet is someone who says the things God tell him to say. A false prophet says they are saying the things God wants them to say, but God has not really said anything to them. John was talking about a certain false prophet. This false prophet said the things that Satan wanted him to say, but he said they were from God.
Some scholars think John wrote about a physical war that will happen before Jesus returns to the earth (see: Joel 2:11; 3:2). Other scholars think John wrote about the spiritual war that would happen before Jesus returns to the earth.
John does not name the great city. It may be Babylon or the capital of the nation of Babylon (see: 18:10, 21). However, scholars do not know what John was writing about when he wrote about Babylon. Babylon was an ancient city and the capital of a great empire. However, there was no city of Babylon when John wrote these words. Some scholars think the great city is Babylon. Other scholars think the great city and Babylon are two different places.
See Map: Babylon
### What nation is Babylon?
When John wrote these words, the nation and city of Babylon had been destroyed for many years. Some scholars think John wrote about a nation that is evil in the same way that the ancient Babylonian Empire was evil.
1. However, scholars do not know the name of the nation. They think Babylon was a metaphor. It is a very evil nation which did not believe in God.
1. Scholars think it was a prophecy about a nation coming in the future.
1. Other scholars think it was the Roman Empire. Other scholars think he wrote about the city of Jerusalem.
1. Other scholars think that John wrote about a certain religious leader and the people who followed this religious leader.
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